Healthcare facilities shouldn’t market any commercial products. They should provide only the best, evidence-based medical care. Yet, many facilities and healthcare providers are co-opted by infant formula companies to market their products: in the United States, the majority of birthing hospitals dispense industry-sponsored samples of formula to new mothers after they give birth. Mothers who receive formula samples in hospital are less likely to breastfeed exclusively and more likely to breastfeed for shorter durations. Yet, all major healthcare provider organizations recommend breastfeeding for at least the first six months of life. It’s best for babies, mothers and communities.

Public Citizen is fighting to keep hospital obstetrics wards commercial-free: no more marketing of potentially harmful products to new moms. Along with over 100 other organizations, we are calling on the over two-thirds of hospitals in the United States that distribute industry-sponsored formula samples to new moms to immediately stop this practice. And, we’re demanding that formula companies — primarily Big Pharma and Big Food corporations — stop this practice, which violates the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.